US Army Soldier Charged Over Maduro Capture Bet
A US Army soldier has been charged with making $400,000 by betting on the removal of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The Justice Department announced charges against Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain and theft of nonpublic government information.
Van Dyke allegedly used sensitive classified information to make wagers on prediction market Polymarket that US forces would enter Venezuela and that Maduro would be out of power. The indictment details his involvement in the planning and execution of the capture, referencing a photograph uploaded by Van Dyke hours after Maduro’s arrest.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that military personnel are prohibited from using classified information for personal financial gain. Polymarket stated it cooperated with authorities and noted that insider trading has no place on its platform.
The Pentagon deferred comment to the Justice Department, while President Donald Trump remarked on the case, drawing a parallel to baseball player Pete Rose’s ban over gambling scandal. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed civil charges against Van Dyke.